With the halfway mark of the College Football season fast approaching, the Washington Huskies have already separated themselves from their rivals in the Pac-12, currently sitting atop the standings at 6-0.
Recent one-sided victories over Oregon and Stanford have raised their profile, with Chris Petersen's side currently sitting fifth in the week seven Associated Press Poll, behind only Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Michigan.
With the Wolverines and Buckeyes still to meet in a Big Ten clash, there is no chance of them each boasting unbeaten seasons, and if Washington can claim a Pac-12 title alongside a 13-0 record then they will have a strong case for inclusion in the College Football Playoff.
Big wins help Huskies post strong early-season résumé
After starting their season with comfortable wins over Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State, Washington then ended their September slate with an important 35-28 overtime victory in Tucson against the Arizona Wildcats.
They then faced the reigning Pac-12 conference champion Stanford Cardinal at Husky Stadium and made a real statement with a 44-6 triumph. It was a performance which saw Petersen's team dominate all three phases, limiting 2015 Heisman finalist Christian McCaffrey to just 79 yards of offense from his 17 touches, with the Huskies themselves putting up more than 200 yards both on the ground and through the air.
Then in their most recent matchup, Washington ended 12 years without a victory over Oregon, by demolishing the Ducks 70-21 in an incredibly one-sided game in Eugene. Quarterback Jake Browning threw for six touchdowns and ran for two more to help the offense rack up close to 700 yards of offense, while Budda Baker claimed his first interception of the season in another strong performance by the ever-improving defense.
Trap games remain during second-half schedule
Everybody at U-Dub knows full well that only a 13-0 season is likely to provide them with a strong case for the playoff committee ahead of Selection Day.
A weak out of conference schedule means they will struggle to claim the attention-grabbing victories needed to hear their name called on December 4th when the Playoff Semifinal teams are announced.
That leaves them needing six more victories to end their regular season, three against fellow Pac-12 North opponents, and three against teams from the South.
On paper, the visit to Salt Lake City to face the 21st-ranked Utah Utes will be the most difficult contest they face, with home games against USC and Arizona State also far from a foregone conclusion.
If they can survive the second-half of their schedule unscathed, the Pac-12 Conference game which is scheduled for December 2nd at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara will give them a shot at an undefeated season for the first time since 1991.
13-0 should guarantee Playoff spot
12-1 won't cut it, 11-2 certainly won't cut it, the Huskies must remain undefeated if they have desires of playing in either the Fiesta or Peach Bowl on New Year's Eve. The champions from the ACC, SEC, and Big Ten conferences are all extremely likely to gain selection, leaving one spot open for which a 13-0 Washington would be hard to ignore.
Other potential unbeaten teams such as Boise State (Mountain West) and Western Michigan (Mid-American) are both competing in non-Power Five conferences, while Baylor of the Big 12 is unlikely to be nominated following off-field problems in recent times.
Houston's defeat to Navy last weekend ended all hope they had, which means Washington's only competitors for selection will have a defeat on their record.
Due to the strength of schedule alone, the committee is more likely to select a one-loss team coming out of the SEC or Big Ten than the Pac-12, and for those in Husky Land, running the table will be a crucial factor in securing their first College Football Playoff spot.